Explore Altoona

Altoona used to be one of the great railroad towns in America, and still is in part because of the Railroaders Memorial Museum. Head to the museum on Ninth Avenue and learn about Altoona's role in the American Industrial Revolution, and how in 1945 Altoona had the largest rail repair shop in the world. Walk a few blocks over to Twelfth Avenue and you'll see the Mishler Theater, built in 1862. The history is worth the stop, and you'll understand why it used to hold its own with Broadway, attracting the top stage, opera and concert hall talent. On Fourteenth Avenue you'll get a taste of the magnificent homes built in the late 19th century, thanks to all the railroad money. Stroll along the old Victorians, Gothic Revivals and Queen Annes, admiring the past and how it still holds up today. By now you'll have walked-up an appetite - hop over to Thirteenth Avenue to Tom and Joe's, a brick diner that's been in Altoona for over 75 years.